Chesapeake Bay Program

A Watershed Partnership

CHESAPEAKE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Fish Passage Goals

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n support of our continuing pursuit of our shared vision of a Chesapeake Bay system
with abundant, diverse populations of living resources, we reaffirm our commitment to protect
and restore riverine aquatic habitats of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for the benefit of
migratory and resident fishes and other aquatic living resources.

We recognize the critical roles fish passage
construction and dam removal play in providing
accessible upstream habitat and spawning areas for
migratory and resident fishes. We also recognize
that fish passage construction and dam removal
improve the quality of surrounding habitat by
reducing river fragmentation, increasing habitat
opportunities for other aquatic living resources,
and, in the case of dam removal, decreasing
trapped sediment to augment river channels and
floodplains.

Due to the over 2,500 manmade blockages in
the Chesapeake Bay watershed, migratory and

resident fish spawning habitat has been greatly
reduced throughout the Chesapeake Bay, thus
total population numbers for many fish species still
remain far below historic levels. While there have
been recent improvements through the successful
completion of the 2003 Fish Passage Goal, which
opened approximately 1,300 miles of river habitat
to migratory and resident fishes, Chesapeake 2000
recognized the need to accelerate the restoration of
this vital resource by setting a new 10-year goal to
open more valuable habitat. Without thriving fish
populations, the Chesapeake Bay could never be
considered restored and healthy.

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herefore, the Chesapeake Bay Program signatory partners commit to adopting the
Fish Passage Goal, as stated:

During the period 2005-2014, the Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions will complete 100 fish passage
and/or dam removal projects, which will open 1,000 miles of high-quality tributary habitat to
migratory and resident fishes. The Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions will require passage at all new
dams or other blockages that interfere with the free passage of migratory fish within the
Chesapeake Bay watershed to the fullest extent possible. Actual fish utilization and passage will
be documented at all new fish passage projects and, wherever possible, these projects will be
integrated within locally supported watershed management or restoration plans.

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Priority will be give to projects which:

•	Open larger stretches of highest quality habitat;

•	Favor dam removals as opposed to structural fish passages, where practical;

•	Enhance passage of migratory fish over resident fish and/or where shad and herring stocking
programs occur, and

•	Favor removal of impediments in streams formerly impaired by acid mine drainage where water
quality improvements will support a diverse assemblage of fish and other aquatic resources.

January 10, 2005

CHESAPEAKE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND

FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY COMMISSION

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